


no strangers to suffering

by kurtbasthallen



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), Torchwood
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Implied historical Magnus/Jack, M/M, Past Character Death, i have been desperate for magnus and jack bff so i wrote this pile of angst myself lol, mlm author, this was really cathartic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 14:56:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17024784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurtbasthallen/pseuds/kurtbasthallen
Summary: Maia had noticed the same customer in her bar every day for the past week. He would sit in the corner of the room nursing a tumbler of whiskey with an aura of sadness about him. Just the one. It was kind of odd, if she were being honest. A bit like him. His outfit seemed to be period military. One of those long coats that would surely keep you warm on a winter's day. Weird when it was the height of summer.





	no strangers to suffering

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I'm not sure if I'll turn this into a series where Magnus and Jack know each other but this was so cathartic. They might be unrelated but still feature Magnus and Jack friendship or be set in the same universe, who knows.
> 
> Also timeline? What timeline? I buggered with the timeline. In Torchwood canon this is August 2009, but in Shadowhunters canon, it's set post Malec confessing feelings. I have no idea. We're ignoring date discrepancies, shh.
> 
> You don't really need to know Torchwood or Doctor Who to get this I suppose? 
> 
> Basically Jack Harkness is an immortal time-traveller from the 51st century who is made immortal when a 19 year old human girl who had no idea what she was doing, brought him back to life when she had absorbed the time vortex, but she couldn't control it so she brought him back forever. They were both travelling with a semi-immortal alien at the time, who had realised what had happened and left Jack on a satellite in the year 500,100 surrounded by corpses (rude, right?) But Jack used to do time travelling as a job so he had a handy little time travelling wrist strap and tried to get back to the 21st century but he got it wrong and ended up in 1869 and it burnt out so he had to live through to 2007 when he caught up with him alien friend again for answers. Jack had no idea he was immortal until he got killed many times in the 19th century.
> 
> Basically I wanted Jack to have another immortal friend, queue Magnus.
> 
> And Magnus and Alec give me such hard Jack/Ianto vibes it hurts. Some Malec scenes almost mirror Janto and its brutal and heart breaking to watch.
> 
> Onto trigger warnings:
> 
> Child abuse/child endangerment: As in canon, Jack mentions an alien race that took 10 children from Scotland in the 60s in exchange for the Spanish flu that was going to wipe out most of the population. These children survived to the present day and were attached to the aliens being used for a chemical high. Those aliens come back in 2009 demanding 10% of the children population.
> 
> Grief: Jack is dealing with the recent loss of his boyfriend and lover who was killed due to an alien virus. Jack watched Ianto die in his arms before dying himself. Jack is also dealing with another recent loss that is briefly mentioned, that of his grandson Steven. Jack briefly mentions the grief of losing all of his other employees he has lost in the past 2.5 years: Suzie, Toshiko and Owen.
> 
> PTSD/Guilt: Jack feels guilt and PTSD generally about everything that has ever happened in his life. Jack feels guilt over all the people that have died while working with him and his grandson, and blames himself for their deaths.

Maia had noticed the same customer in her bar every day for the past week. He would sit in the corner of the room nursing a tumbler of whiskey with an aura of sadness about him. Just the one. It was kind of odd, if she were being honest. A bit like him. His outfit seemed to be period military. One of those long coats that would surely keep you warm on a winter's day. Weird when it was the height of summer.

If she were on the opening shift, he would turn up not long after they opened, and if she were on the closing shift, he would disappear without a trace not long before they closed. It was odd. She never saw him arrive or leave. He would just be there in the corner drinking his whiskey. And then he wasn't. He always kept his head down and never spoke to anyone. She would occasionally see a person walk up to him and try to strike a conversation but he would send them away with a charming smile and a short phrase. Not that she blamed them. Even with the aura around him, he was still a handsome man, if she went for men much older than herself.

Considering that the bar was having a quiet night, Maia felt comfortable to place her bar towel down and come out from behind it. She knew she was fitting the stereotype, but she was determined to find out what had tall, dark and handsome so down. As she made her way over to the stranger, she nodded to her colleague who was out on the floor.

Arriving at the man's side, she cleared her throat slightly. Maia kept her eyes on the man as he raised his eyes to her own, and noticing her, a smile graced his lips. "Well, hello there." His voice wasn't quite what she was expecting, it was quiet and soothing.

Maia returned his smile and leant her hip against the chair opposite him. "Hi, so I've seen you in here every day this week and you've got me intrigued. New to town?" She couldn't quite place his accent. She wanted to say Midwestern? But it sounded like someone had looked up American accent in the dictionary and learnt it.

The stranger chuckled softly, the smile not quite reaching his eyes. "You could say that. I haven't been back in years. I was hoping to bump into an old friend but it seems he's busy nowadays."

Maia raised an eyebrow. "Maybe I could help? Working here I've met quite a few people, I may know who they are."

Why was he looking at the Hunter's Moon? Not many mundanes came in here as something about the place creeped them out. She wondered if it was a warlock who had put a ward in place or something? Now she was closer to the stranger, there was something different about him. Something that she felt around warlocks but not the same. Some kind of energy.

The stranger took another sip of his drink, carefully considering her. Placing his glass back down on the table, his shoulders dropped. "I don't suppose you know a Magnus Bane?"

Maia quirked an eyebrow. "Of course. Most people around here know him." A mundane knowing Magnus Bane? That was something she didn't come across often. "Do you not have means to contact him?"

The stranger shrugged his shoulders, sighing. "I do. But I've not really wanted to go out of my way to bother him, especially when he's been so happy lately."

She watched as he dropped his eyes to where his fingers were playing with the glass. Maia reached up and ran her own fingers over her opposite shoulder. "Maybe contact him? You've left it long enough to leave it to chance.

The stranger lifted his eyes back to hers. There seemed to be a war going on behind his eyes, she almost felt cold at what she saw. His eyes reminded her of Magnus, they looked ancient and just tired. Not that Magnus looked tired nowadays, but he used to. "I suppose you're right.

She watched as the man pulled out his phone and sent off, what seemed like, a quick text. "While I'm here, would you like another drink?" She almost asked out of habit, she didn't expect him to take her up on it from his previous history but her surprised her.

"That would be great, thank you." The phone found it's way back in the inside of that long coat. Being closer, she realised it really was a nice coat. She could use one of those for herself. Not that the cold affected her much, but it was nice to be warm.

Maia gave the man another smile and turned back to the bar to make him a drink. Grabbing the glass, she quickly poured some ice into the bottom and poured a generous portion of whiskey over the top. She turned around to the till to set up a tab for the stranger before walking towards him and swapping the now empty glass for the full one. "There we go."

"Thank you..." The stranger looked up at her with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Maia." She offered with a smile, taking the hand he held out to her.

"Jack." Jack shook her hand, her smile returned. "A pleasure to meet you." Usually when an older man said something like this to her, it was coupled with a once over and a lecherous tone to their voice but Jack's voice was nothing but thankful.

"A pleasure to meet you as well. I'll leave you to it." Shaking Jack's hand one last time, she let go, spun on her heel and went back behind the bar.

As she was serving a new customer that flagged her down, she heard the door open and a familiar voice shout out. "Captain! As I live and breathe. I haven't heard from you in weeks, young man."

Xxx

Magnus exited the portal that opened up in the alleyway beside the Hunter's Moon, stopping himself from running into the bar with his eagerness. He hadn't heard from Jack in weeks. Entering the establishment, he told Jack so. Making a beeline for the man who looked like he had the world on his shoulders but was desperately trying to hide it. He pulled Jack up from his seat and embraced the man fiercely.

He felt Jack almost melt into his arms, tucking his face into Magnus' neck. The sigh that escaped Jack's mouth was almost enough to bring tears to Magnus' eyes. God, what had happened to his old friend? Especially with that whole children malarkey that went on with the mundanes. He hadn't heard from Jack since the day that started.

"Magnus." The word was breathed into Magnus' neck in a broken tone. Magnus tightened his grip on Jack and rested his head on top of Jack's.

Magnus didn't want to let Jack go but he knew that they needed to sit down before they drew too many eyes. He knew Jack didn't like an audience when he was emotional. "Jack," he whispered softly. "Would you rather come back to mine or should we sit down?"

Jack breathed in heavily through his nose and pulled back. His eyes were red with holding back tears. "To yours?" His voice was close to breaking. Something must have really happened.

Magnus nodded and grabbed Jack's hand, pulling him along behind him. He turned to Maia on the way out and passed her a ten dollar bill. "Thanks, Maia." He caught her nod of thanks and mouthed "look after him", and nodded back.

Dragging Jack out into the alley, Magnus drew a portal directly into his loft and pulled Jack through and deposited him on his couch. "Now, does this require drinks?" When Jack just stared up at Magnus not saying anything, Magnus nodded. "This requires drinks."

Magnus walked off to his bar and made a whiskey on the rocks for Jack and one for himself before coming back to the sofa. He found Jack just as he left him. Staring off into space and still wearing that damn coat.

"Jack, what happened? I haven't heard from you since what happened with those mundane children happened and I've been worried." The longest Jack and he had gone without any contact was when Jack took a three month vacation with his alien friend.

Jack turned to look at Magnus and finally let his tears fall. He was silent, but sometimes that was the worst kind of crying. "We lost. I lost. I lost everyone." His breath caught in his throat. Jack ran his hands across his trouser legs kneading the muscles.

Magnus reached out and placed his hand on top of Jack's. "What do you mean?

A shaky breath escaped his lips. "An Alien race came to Earth and demanded 10% of the Earth's children. They came in the 60s to Scotland and took kids and they were still alive. They were using them for a chemical high." His voice broke as he tried to contain a sob. "I couldn't allow them to take the kids again. I knew about the previous incident so the government tried to kill me by placing a bomb in my stomach to blow up the base."

Magnus squeezed Jack's hand tighter. "Gwen and Ianto barely made it out, they were lucky to be alive. So, we were on the run and we tried to help. We found out what was going on and me and Ianto tried to reason with the aliens. But they didn't like it. They... they released a virus into the government building they were housed in. But they were safe because they were in some kind of tank. So, they released a virus. It was going to kill everyone."

Jack released a sob, his tears coming quicker. "I pleaded with them. I told them that I'd take it all back, I'd take it all back but not him! Not my Ianto." He bit his lip hard. "But they just said that we were dying even now and I pleaded with them for an antidote but Ianto just collapsed in my arms. It was all my fault but Ianto told me it wasn't. I told him to not speak and save his breath. And he told me he loved me... But I couldn't say it back. I just told him don't. I couldn't bear to deal with the fact I was losing him."

Jack sobbed a bit harder, squeezing Magnus' hand. "Then he started to fade and I pleaded with him to stay with me. And asked if it was good, like I could ever think it wasn't good. Ianto pleaded with me that I wouldn't forget him and said that I'd forget him in a thousand years time, but I never could, I won't forget him. I promised him I'd remember him. I will remember him. And then he just died in my arms."

Jack couldn't take it anymore and started sobbing loudly, finally releasing all his pent up emotion in Magnus' shoulder. Magnus had no idea that that wasn't the end and something just as bad, if not worse, had happened. "Steven and Ianto, and Owen and Tosh and Suzie... all because of me." His voice was almost strangled as he tried to get the words out around his tears.

Magnus started to cry at his own friend's pain. He couldn't imagine what Jack was going through. This was one of his biggest fears with Alec. Losing him. Whether to old age or to battle. It was something they had to bear as immortals who had fallen in love with mortals. And Jack did love Ianto even if he never got to tell him. Magnus knew Jack and he knew how deeply Jack falls. Jack was just like him. They had closed themselves off for so long and then these stubborn young men came along and weasled their way into their hearts. Magnus had magic to help him close his feelings off but Jack didn't have that luxury.

This was why mundanes should not be allowed to become immortal, they just weren't built for it. Magnus didn't care if Jack was a more advanced mundane from 3 milleniums in the future. This was just cruel. Especially when he didn't have someone else to spend eternity with. Not many downworlders would date mundanes, especially a downworlder who was immortal. Him and Jack had tried. Once upon a time. When Jack was still waiting for his alien friend to 'fix him' and make him mortal. They had a good time. A very very good time. But they just were not compatible in a relationship. Plus, he wouldn't trade Alec for the world.

Magnus had adored Ianto. He had met him many times and the Welshman was a true delight. Exactly what Jack had needed. The quiet man was the calm to Jack's storm and just allowed Jack to be himself. Magnus knew the world could be cruel and take people far too soon but he had hoped Jack would get longer with him. None of Jack's previous lovers had known or accepted Jack's immortality quite like Ianto had.

Outgrowing their loved ones was an inevitability. But they hadn't expected it to be so soon. Jack should have got longer with the man who truly understood him. And Ianto deserved a longer life than his measly 25 years. Ianto's 26th birthday. That was tomorrow. Magnus squeezed his eyes tightly. He was glad Jack was here so he could help him through tomorrow. It was going to be rough.

Magnus was so thankful that his Alec was still alive and safe and sound. But this really brought to home how fleeting a mortal's life can be. And how inevitably broken Magnus will be when Alec is gone.

As Magnus pulled Jack in tighter and started to softly sing in his ear, he hoped he could ease some of the other man's suffering. Because he didn't deserve it. He really didn't.

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from the song Mars by Sleeping at Last.
> 
> So let me know what you think? I'm guessing this will be a very niche market lol. If you haven't seen Torchwood? Watch it. If you haven't seen Shadowhunters? Watch it.


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